Are You Normal Or Unique?

“If you are always trying to be normal, you will never know how amazing you can be.” -Maya Angelou

Keep this in mind whenever you find yourself deciding whether it is okay to be normal or unique. It is okay to be normal, but you will find yourself just like everyone else and not really trying anything that will make you stand out or become better in life. This can lead to people not taking notice of and recognizing you from the crowd. When you decide to step out and be unique, you get to try out and explore different things that will help you to grow and take on your own identity. This can lead to you gaining confidence in yourself and getting noticed by people.

Why do people want to be normal when they can be unique? The easy answer is this: it is easier to a person to follow the crowd than to stand apart from it. The illusion is that if you stand out from it, you will get left behind because you did not do what everyone else did in staying with the group. The reality is that when you do stand out from the crowd, that is when you start to begin exploring and learning how to become your own person.

I am reminded of when I was growing up, how I found myself not being able to always play outside like everyone else. I would always feel like I was missing out on something because I did not get to play and hang out. I would even get mad at times with my mother because I did not get why I had to stay in when everyone else is outside or stay behind because my dad and brother would go out.

Those moments helped me to develop myself in other areas. Instead of having the play time, that was moments that I used to find my interests and talents in other areas. I learned about my love for technology and business. I even developed my dress style and how I communicate with people. This brought into my life opportunities, positive influences, and resources that developed me into who I am today. The end result is that even though I was lost in terms not being like everyone else, I learned to find myself as a person who can stand out from the crowd, be himself, and be good at whatever he put his mind to.

…to get here 15 years later.

The choice to be normal or unique is totally up to you. If you choose to be normal, just continue to do what you are doing, but if you want to be unique, just open yourself up to different possibilities and allow for yourself to grow. It may not be easy and people may pick on you for being unique, but if you stick with it long enough, you will be amazed as to how far you can go in life. Let’s remember that being normal will keep you hidden from people and opportunities, but being unique will allow for those same people and opportunities to find you.

What will you define yourself as: normal or unique?

-Michael J. Fite